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Completely top-shelf work from the short-lived Top Deck label in Kingston – one of the great early imprints to really help get things going from the indie side of things in the 60s – run by Justin Yap, an entrepreneur with a great ear for the changing sides of the scene! This is badass early ska at its best – the Skatalites serving up plenty of jazzy instrumentation over hard-rocking rhythms – not the watered-down modes of the ska-revival years, but really sharp, short instrumentals that are to Jamaica what the Stax Records work of the MGs and Bar-Kays was to Memphis in the 60s! There's a starkness and darkness here that's wonderful – and titles include "Ghost Town", "China Clipper", "Lawless Street", "Chinatown", "Ska Ra Van", "Confucius", "Surftide Seven", "Skaravan", and "Ringo Rides". LP, Vinyl record album

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Foundation is right, in more than one sense of the word! The Brentford Avenue stalwarts are showcased here on a nice double album compilation of classic and groundbreaking early ska and rocksteady tracks that would become the template for so much Jamaican music to follow. The team of Coxsone Dodd with Don Drummond, Lloyd Brevett, Tommy McCook, Jackie Mittoo, Roland Alphonso, Jerry Hinds, Dizzy Moore and Johnny Moore was unstoppable, it's hard to imagine where the reggae sound would be without this seminal music! 32 tracks in all, including "Dick Tracy", "Alley Pang", "Christine Keeler", "Fidel Castro", "Beardsman Ska", "Third Man Ska", "Simmer Down", "Exodus", "King Solomon", 'Eastern Standard Time", "I Should Have Known Better", "Hot Cargo", "Black Sunday", 'Ska La Parisienne", "Don D Lion", "Third Man Ska", "Nimrod", "Cleopatra", "Addis Ababa", "Silver Dollar", "Killer Diller", "Naked City" and "Ringo's Theme". CD

The original version of this landmark album in Jamaican music – a set that's not just a very early showcase for the instrumental talents of the Skatalites, but also the growing wave of new talent coming up on the scene! Unlike later versions, which focus mostly on the Skatalites work – this set also brings equal focus to some key singers – young artists who include Jackie Opel, Delroy Wilson, The Gaylads, The Maytals, and even a young Lee Scratch Perry! Throughout the set, the Skatalites are wonderfully wicked – sharp-edged, and with lots of jazzy inflections – thanks to the work of Tommy McCook and Roland Alphonso on tenors, each of whom also get time in the solo spotlight on the instrumentals – plus the great Don Drummond on trombone, Jackie Mittoo on piano, Jerry Hines on guitar, and Lester Sterling on alto. Titles include "Freedom Sounds", "Brown Skin Girls", "Lee Oswald", "Rolling Down", "Ska Ba", "Sammy Dead", "Wondering Now", and "Turn Your Lamp Down". CD

Foundation is right, in more than one sense of the word! The Brentford Avenue stalwarts are showcased here on a nice double album compilation of classic and groundbreaking early ska and rocksteady tracks that would become the template for so much Jamaican music to follow. The team of Coxsone Dodd with Don Drummond, Lloyd Brevett, Tommy McCook, Jackie Mittoo, Roland Alphonso, Jerry Hinds, Dizzy Moore and Johnny Moore was unstoppable– and it's hard to imagine where the reggae sound would be without this seminal music! 32 tracks in all, including "Dick Tracy", "Alley Pang", "Christine Keeler", "Fidel Castro", "Beardsman Ska", "Third Man Ska", "Simmer Down", "Exodus", "King Solomon", 'Eastern Standard Time", "I Should Have Known Better", "Hot Cargo", "Black Sunday", "Ska La Parisienne", "Don D Lion", "Third Man Ska", "Nimrod", "Cleopatra", "Addis Ababa", "Silver Dollar", "Killer Diller", "Naked City" and "Ringo's Theme". CD

Killer funky organ – and 100% Dynamite! Jackie Mittoo is one of the all-time great organists – as essential to Jamaica as Booker T was to Memphis, or Jimmy McGriff was to New York. He's legendary these days as the player who completely transformed the Hammond sound with his unique Jamaican instrumental style during his early years with the Skatalites, and on his later solo recordings for Studio One. This set's probably the first time Mittoo's work has been properly packaged and remastered – and the folks at Soul Jazz have done an amazing job of selecting just the right tracks for such a project. The whole thing wails along with a stone rocksteady groove – with plenty of nice drum parts and funky rhythm bits underneath Jackie's soulful organ. If you dug the label's 100% Dynamite series, you'll really dig this one – and the whole thing's very much in the same vein. Tracks include "Drum Song", "Reggae Rock", "Hot Tamale", "Killer Diller", "Black Organ", "Stereo Freeze", "Wall Street", "Darker Shade Of Black", "Juice Box", and "Killer Diller". LP, Vinyl record album

Landmark work from The Wailers – the early trio version of the group, with a legendary lineup that includes Peter Tosh and Bob Marley! The style here is different than both Tosh and Marley's music to come, but the sound is already totally top-shelf – a wickedly soulful blend of American soul harmonies and Jamaican rhythms – very well-crafted, mostly with Bob in the lead, but often with the kind of vocal interplay that makes all three members of the group shine in the spotlight, including third member Neville Livingston! The set's an early Studio One treasure, and is proof that Clement Dodd was already on the right track – and musical backing is by The Soul Brothers and Skatalites. Titles include "Lonesome Feelings", "I Need You", "Put It On", "Rude Boy", "Love & Affection", "Simmer Down", "I'm Still Waiting", and "Ten Commandments Of Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A fab bunch of ska and rocksteady numbers, one of those compilations that Trojan has oddly let go out of print. 18 great tracks, including "Big Bamboo" by Lord Creator, "Latin Goes Ska", "Beardman Ska", "Street Corner" and "Ball O Fire" by the Skatalites, "hallelujah" by the Maytals, "Garden Of Love" and "Let George Do It" by Don Drummond, "Rough & Tough" by Stranger Cole, "Shame & Scandal" by Peter Tosh & The Wailers, "Bonanza Ska" by Carlos Malcolm, "Dance Crasher" by Alton Ellis, "Rudie Bam Bam" by the Clarnedonians, "Ska Jam" by Tommy McCook & The Supersonics, "Doctor Dick" by Lee Perry & The Soulettes, "Owe Me No Pay Me" by the Ethiopians, "Independence Ska" by Baba Brooks and "Don't Be A Rude Boy" by the Rulers. LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool take on the sound of Studio One – a package of late 60s themes from James Bond films and other soundtrack sources! The mix is maybe not that surprising, given the use of Jamaican music early on in the series – as part of the Dr No soundtrack – and maybe that global moment of understanding helped the groups back home in Kingston to reach for the skies with material like this! The whole thing is a fascinating document of two strands of Brit culture in these post-colonial years – with titles that include "James Bond Danger Man" by The Soul Brothers, "Pussy Galore" by Lee Perry & The Wailers, "Mr Flint" by The Soul Brothers, "Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" by The Soul Brothers, "Hang Em High" by Jackie Mittoo, "From Russia With Love" by Roland Alphonso & The Studio One Orchestra, "Ball Of Fire" by The Skatalites, and "James Bond Girl" by The Soul Brothers. CD

As near as we can tell, this wasn't actually recorded live, but features Duke Reid and Coxsone Dodd cuts compiled back to back soundclash style. Top to bottom it makes a great set, of bouncy good time reggae, with 16 tracks in all: Clue J & The Blues Blasters "Milk Lane Hop", Delroy Wilson "Duke & The Sir", Bunny & Scully "Don't Do It", Clue J & The Blues Blasters "Five Minutes On Beeston Street", Owen Gray "Grandma, Grandpa", Rolando & Karl McLaughling "Shocker's Hop", Basil Gabbidon "I'll Find Love", Clue J & The Blues Blasters "Swanee River Rock", Dukies Group "Dukies Cooking", The Skatalites "Twilight Zone", Roland Alphonso "Blackberry Brandy", Bunny, Skita & Count Ossie "Cool Breeze", The Skatalites "What Makes Honey", Duke's Group "Pink Lane Hop", Tommy McCook & The Supersonics "Pink Champain" and Busty & Cool "What A World". CD

More burning instrumentals from Coxsone Dodd and his mighty crew at Studio One! Soul Jazz has already established Dodd and Studio One as a near household name in bad, bold island grooves, and this set of fiery instrumentals keeps up the pressure, with 16 burning numbers! All flavors of Jamaican soul get represented here, from spacey, mellow grooves at the hands of Jackie Mittoo, to mellow snapping clavinet numbers from Pablove Black, deep roots from Cedric Brooks or jaunty ska numbers from the Soul Vendors and the Skatalites. As usual, the packaging is in the deluxe vein that has graced previous chapters in the series, and this set includes "Gumbay Jump" by the Dub Specialist, "A Big Car" by Jackie Mittoo, "Joe Grazer" and "Sidewalk Doctor" by VinGordon, "Sound Almighty" by the Soul Defenders, "Black Wax" by Pablove Black, Dick Tracy" by the Skatalites, "Cousin Joe Pt 1" by Sugar Belly, and "Black Is Black" by Im & David, plus many more! LP, Vinyl record album

Pure greatness from one of the first key labels on the Jamaican scene – the mighty Treasure Isle, a hotbed of new innovation during the ska generation! The set features work from Justin Hinds & The Dominoes, The Skatalites, Baba Brooks, Monty Morris, Stranger & Patsy, and Owen & Leon. LP, Vinyl record album

Clement Coxsone Dodd and Lee Scratch Perry – a match made in any reggae lover's dreams! This tasty little collection pulls together more than chicken scratch, rather it documents a batch of deep cuts from Perry's formative years, early numbers cut under the tutelage of Coxsone Dodd during the ska era. Perry takes care of the vocal duties while the Skatalites and other luminaries from the Brentford Road stable deliver bouncing ska rhythms for a truly seminal collaboration between the best of the best on the Kingston scene! 18 tracks in all, including "Feel Like Jumping", "Chicken Scratch", "Solid As A Rock", 'Tackoo", "Roast Duck", "Gumma", "Just Keep It Up", "Open Up (Cook Book)", "Mother In Law", "Madhead", "Cannot Wrong (And Get Right)", "John Tom" and "Run Rudie Run". CD

Landmark work from The Wailers – the early trio version of the group, with a legendary lineup that includes Peter Tosh and Bob Marley! The style here is different than both Tosh and Marley's music to come, but the sound is already totally top-shelf – a wickedly soulful blend of American soul harmonies and Jamaican rhythms – very well-crafted, mostly with Bob in the lead, but often with the kind of vocal interplay that makes all three members of the group shine in the spotlight, including third member Neville Livingston! The set's an early Studio One treasure, and is proof that Clement Dodd was already on the right track – and musical backing is by The Soul Brothers and Skatalites. Titles include "Lonesome Feelings", "I Need You", "Put It On", "Rude Boy", "Love & Affection", "Simmer Down", "I'm Still Waiting", and "Ten Commandments Of Love". CD

Featuring Blues Busters, Alton & Eddie, Tony Gregory, Skatalites, Wailers, Jackie Opel, and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's way more than just another dip into the legendary catalog of the Studio One label – as there's a well-chosen selection of cuts here that go well past the hits, and really live up to the kind of "classics" promised in the title! It's no secret that Studio One was one of the first and most important studios and labels to rise up on the Kingston scene at the end of the 60s – pioneering impeccable production, tight musicianship, and the kind of soul-drenched vocals that helped Jamaican music rich a much larger global audience – music that's given a fantastic showcase here on titles that include "No Man Is An Island" by Dennis Brown, "Simmer Down" by The Wailers, "I'm Just A Guy" by Alton Ellis, "Rocking Time" by Burning Spear, "Confucious" by Don Drummond, "Rub A Dub Style" by Michigan & Smiley, "Fever" by Horace Andy, "School" by Prince Jazzbo, "Love Me Forever" by Carlton & The Shoes, "Rockfort Rock" by Sound Dimension, "Pretty Looks Isn't All" by The Heptones, and "El Pussycat Ska" by The Skatalites. LP, Vinyl record album

Forget everything you know about ska music from recent years – no Mighty Mighty cliches, no retro-styled clunkers, no two-toned sounds at all – just the real deal, the roots of the style, served up here in classic recordings that go right to the source! These are the cuts that started it all – and which still sound way better to our ears than any of the countless imitations that have been crafted over the years – played with a freshness and a sharp edge that recent recordings can never hope to touch! The music here is the roots of reggae crafted in the soil of Kingston – recorded by the legendary Studio One Records, with all the soulful undercurrents you'd find in the rocksteady generation as well. It's been a few years since Soul Jazz have served up a set of Jamaican grooves this tight – but it's been well worth the wait, given the track selection and always-stellar level of presentation from the label. Titles include "Live Good" by The Ethiopians, "Mr Talkative" by The Wailers, "There's A Reward" by Joe Higgs & Roy Wilson, "Ska La Parisienne" by The Skatalites, "Don't Try To Reach Me" by The Gaylads, "Gumma" by Lee Perry, "Freedom Sounds" by Soul Brothers, "You Won't See Me" by The Clarendonians, and "Old Rocking Chair" by Jakie Opel. LP, Vinyl record album

To say this one's been a long time coming would be an understatement! This awesome set features a 4 hour (!) DVD, loaded with rare footage of the Skatalites, Jackie Mittoo and Ernest Ranglin, plus in-depth interviews with Dodd and a whole host of artists that had worked their way through the Studio One stable throughout the years. Then there's the 16 track CD – a fitting complement to the film and next worthy installment in the fine series of compilations of Studio One material that Soul Jazz has undertaken, this time spanning all the genres that Studio One would cover, including ska, rocksteady, roots and dancehall, including Theo Beckford "Easy Snapping", The Skatalites "Guns Of Navarone", Delroy Wilson "Dancing Mood", The Heptones "Baby", Alton Ellis "I'm Still In Love With You", Tommy McCook "Tunnel One", Sugar Minott "Jah Jah Children", The Dub Specialist "Banana Walk", Dennis Alcapone "Run Run", The Lone Ranger "Love Bump" and Jackie Mittoo "Freak Out". And if that weren't enough, there's the 100 page booklet, loaded with photos and a complete history of the label, making this choice set one of the nicest packages we've come across in a long, long time! CD

Jamaican Ska, and a whole lot more – a key batch of early Studio One recordings that show just how many styles were criss-crossing in Kingston at the time! There's definitely lots of rhythms here that would make a rude boy happy, but there's also some richly soulful vocals that point the way towards rocksteady and reggae to come – and instrumentation that echoes some of the Jamaican styles of the early 60s, including an initial influence from jazz. The set features some tracks that were only ever out on 45s – and titles include "How Many Times" and "Simmer Down" by The Wailers, "20 75" and "Sucu Sucu" by Roland Alphonso, "Salt Lane Gal" by The Skatalites, "Gal & Boy" by The Gaylads, "Sit down Servant" and "Push Wood" by Jackie Opel, "The Vow" by Jackie & Doreen, "Finger Mash" by The Blue Beat, and "Roll On Sweet Don" by Don Drummond & Roland Alphonso. LP, Vinyl record album

There's no doubting the impact that the scene made in Great Britain and how that helped break those sounds worldwide. This nicely priced box set collects 50 of the biggest Jamaican hits in the UK from the vaults at Trojan, covering mostly their great ska and rocksteady. Includes the Skatalites "Guns Of Navarone", Desmond Dekker & the Aces "007 (Shanty Town)", "Israelites" and "You Can Get It If You Really Want", Dandy Livingstone "Rudy A Message To You", Jimmy Cliff "Many Rivers To Cross" and "Wonderful World, Beautiful People", the Maytals "Maokey Man", Dave & Ansell Collins "Double Barrel", Ken Boothe "Crying Over You", Dennis Brown "Money In My Pocket" and lots more. . . CD

A very cool take on the sound of Studio One – a package of late 60s themes from James Bond films and other soundtrack sources! The mix is maybe not that surprising, given the use of Jamaican music early on in the series – as part of the Dr No soundtrack – and maybe that global moment of understanding helped the groups back home in Kingston to reach for the skies with material like this! The whole thing is a fascinating document of two strands of Brit culture in these post-colonial years – with titles that include "James Bond Danger Man" by The Soul Brothers, "Pussy Galore" by Lee Perry & The Wailers, "Mr Flint" by The Soul Brothers, "Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" by The Soul Brothers, "Hang Em High" by Jackie Mittoo, "From Russia With Love" by Roland Alphonso & The Studio One Orchestra, "Ball Of Fire" by The Skatalites, and "James Bond Girl" by The Soul Brothers. LP, Vinyl record album